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Differences between Webcasting and Web Conferencing

Enhanced web services, like ConferenceCast^TM Webcasts, are ideal for larger broadcasts, while ReadyConnect^® On-Demand Web Conferencing is better suited for smaller, more collaborative meetings.

Key differences between Webcasting and On-Demand Web Conferencing

	Webcasting ConferenceCast Webcasts	On-Demand Web Conferencing ReadyConnect Web Meeting
Applications	Large broadcasts, presentations, training	Data sharing during meetings
Audience Size	Medium to massive	Small to medium
Integrated Audio	Yes	No (participants must also be on the phone)
Integrated Video	Yes High-quality, full-motion video is often the focus of the session	Yes but typically lower quality (video is not the focus)
Setup Required	Yes (typically pre-planned)	No (can be scheduled or ad-hoc)
Participant Interaction	Basic (text chat, polling, etc.)	High (voice, annotations, share presenter control, etc.)
Communication Delay*	Moderate (a few seconds)	Low (near real-time)
Cost	Moderate upfront cost; low per-participant cost	Low or no upfront cost; moderate per-participant cost

Webcasting enables primarily one-to-many broadcasts, while web conferencing focuses on more interactive, collaborative meetings.
Webcasts are ideal, both in terms of functionality and cost, for large audiences, while web conferences are better suited for smaller groups.
Webcasts frequently involve and revolve around live or prerecorded video to maximize the impact and connectedness with the presenter, while web conferences rarely include video and instead focus around PC content, such as PowerPoint presentations or Excel spreadsheets.